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Milan Dopita

Publications and source records attributed to Milan Dopita.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Quantitative Analysis of Light Induced Ion Segregation in Mixed-Halide Perovskites

Mixed-halide perovskites (MHPs) offer good band gap tunability by stoichiometry changes, which is an essential property for the creation of multijunction solar cells. However, under illumination, halide ions in MHP segregate and create I- and Br-rich regions, which decreases the efficiency of potential solar cells. In this work, a method for a detailed investigation of the distribution of halide ions within the MHP during and after illumination is introduced. Calculations of the strain field created by the halide segregation were performed, and the obtained local displacement of atoms was used to calculate the x-ray diffuse scattering. By fitting the experimental data measured on the thin polycrystalline layer of FA0.83Cs0.17Pb(I0.6Br0.4)3 the distribution of Br- and I- ions within an illuminated MHP was determined and the subsequent relaxation process of the segregation in the dark was tracked. Creation of highly Br-rich regions within slightly I-rich volume during the illumination was observed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Synthesis and physical properties of uranium thin-film hydrides UH2 and \b{eta}-UH3

Formation of thin uranium hydrides films, UH2 and \b{eta}-UH3, synthesized by a reactive dc sputtering of uranium metal, was explored using variable deposition conditions. Obtained stable oxygen-free hydride films were studied by a variety of methods, both in situ (photoelectron spectroscopy - XPS), and ex-situ (x-ray diffraction - XRD, transmission electron microscopy - TEM), electrical resistivity, and magnetometry). Both types of hydrides are ferromagnetic, the Curie temperatures of UH2 and \b{eta}-UH3 are approx. 120 and 170 K, respectively. Ferromagnetism in the thin films is robust and does not depend on structure details while electrical resistivity data reflect disorder in both types of hydrides.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Antiferroelectric negative capacitance from a structural phase transition in zirconia

Crystalline materials with broken inversion symmetry can exhibit a spontaneous electric polarization, which originates from a microscopic electric dipole moment. Long-range polar or anti-polar order of such permanent dipoles gives rise to ferroelectricity or antiferroelectricity, respectively. However, the recently discovered antiferroelectrics of fluorite structure (HfO$_2$ and ZrO$_2$) are different: A non-polar phase transforms into a polar phase by spontaneous inversion symmetry breaking upon the application of an electric field. Here, we show that this structural transition in antiferroelectric ZrO$_2$ gives rise to a negative capacitance, which is promising for overcoming the fundamental limits of energy efficiency in electronics. Our findings provide insight into the thermodynamically 'forbidden' region of the antiferroelectric transition in ZrO$_2$ and extend the concept of negative capacitance beyond ferroelectricity. This shows that negative capacitance is a more general phenomenon than previously thought and can be expected in a much broader range of materials exhibiting structural phase transitions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Investigation of Nanostructures with X-ray Scattering Techniques

The structural investigations of nanomaterials motivated by their large variety and diverse set of applications have attracted considerable attention. In particular, the ever-improving machinery, both in laboratory and at large scale facilities, together with the methodical improvements available for studying nanostructures ranging from epitaxial nanomaterials, nanocrystalline thin films and coatings, to nanoparticles and colloidal nanocrystals allows us to gain a more detailed understanding of their structural properties. As the structure essentially determines the physical properties of the materials, this advances the possibilities of structural studies and also enables a deeper understanding of the structure to property relationships. In this special issue entitled "Investigation of Nanostructures with X-ray Scattering Techniques" five contributions show the recent progress in various research fields. Contributions cover topics as diverse as neutron scattering on magnetic multilayer films, epitaxial orientation of organic thin films, nanoparticle ordering and chemical composition analysis, and the combination of nanofocused X-ray beams with electrical measurements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci